How To Be Kind In A Group Chat That Loves Insults

You are kind in a group chat that loves insults by not feeding the pile-on, by muting when it is cheap, and by leaving when the joke needs someone small.

Filipino barkada humor can be glue. It can also be a daily practice of cruelty with emojis.

Do you have to correct them?

Not with a lecture. A "that's cheap" or a silence is often enough. If you become the chaplain of the GC, they will mock that too.

When do you leave?

When a man is always the punchline. When secrets are forwarded. When you feel dirtier after every scroll.

What if they say you cannot take a joke?

A joke that only works if someone shrinks is not wit. It is a hierarchy. You can take a joke. You do not have to take a beating.

The Filipino Men does not need you to win the group chat. It needs you to still like yourself after you lock the phone.

Related reading: When Your Barkada Starts Costing You Your Future.

Frequently asked questions

Is muting cowardly?
Muting is choosing your nervous system. Cowardly is laughing along when you hate it.

What about work chats?
Stay professional, stay brief, save jokes for people who are safe. Work GCs are not barkada, even when they pretend.